


Truth Is the Sharpest Sword

by Eilinelithil



Series: Lover's Leap [9]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: All Magic Comes With a Price, F/M, fairy curse, test
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:07:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26149174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eilinelithil/pseuds/Eilinelithil
Summary: After righting the latest of the wrong perpetrated by the Fairy Curse, and still angered that the two people who paid the greatest price were his friend, Jefferson, and his... maid, Belle, Rumplestiltskin decides to take the fight directly to the Blue Fairy, who comes to discover that even fairies must pay the price for magic.
Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Series: Lover's Leap [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1863370
Comments: 8
Kudos: 7





	Truth Is the Sharpest Sword

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the ninth AU-gust fic. The prompt was Royalty

“Rumplestiltskin, what _good_ will it do!” Belle followed the Dark One as he strode toward the doors of the great hall, running to keep up. “Going after her can’t change what happened.”

He stopped suddenly, rounding on her and she had to all but reverse course to keep from colliding with him as he raised a hand and agreed, “No, but it _will_ stop what has yet to happen.”

“How?” she folded her arms across her chest, all but tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for his answer. “The curse is already cast.”

“Well, that’s as may be,” he virtually sang to her, “But I can’t have her going around willy nilly diverting your consciousness just because I found her loophole and she doesn’t like it.”

“Willy nilly?” Belle demanded. “She did it _once_.”

“And look at the harm she caused,” he interjected, but Belle went on, not to be deterred.

“Harm yes, but we still set something right, despite her interference. Besides, we don’t even know it was _her_. I told you, it was black as pitch. I couldn’t see anything.”

“Oh, I know all right,” Rumplestiltskin chuckled without mirth. “The whole thing just _reeks_ of her sanctimoniousness. Just like before. Thinking she knows best. Lording it over _everyone_. Even her own. Fancies herself queen. Quick to admonish, but not so fast to acknowledge her _own_ short-comings.”

“Shortcoming?” Belle echoed. “What do you mean?”

“She lies,” he said.

“She’s a fairy. They don’t lie.”

“Well she. Does… and has!” he spat. “Not to mention manipulation, and just plain bullying the gnats under her. I could almost feel sorry for them.”

Belle was momentarily struck to silence, until Rumplestiltskin started to turn away again. Then, she reached out, and this time caught his arm.

“What do you hope to achieve by confronting her?”

“A way to break the curse, of course,” he exaggerated, raising a hand into the air as if he were just about to do just that.

“And you expect her to just… what? Tell you how to do that?” Belle asked, incredulously.

“Of course not,” he grinned evilly. “I’m hoping I have to _torture_ it out of her.”

“Rumple!” Belle yelped, not at all sure whether he was serious or not.

He leaned down to her, a hand on each of her upper arms, looking deeply into her eyes. “She may well see herself as Queen of the Fairies, but I… dearie… am the King of Loopholes.”

* * *

Belle fretted.

She hadn’t used to worry when Rumplestiltskin was away, but since the Fairy Curse… and especially now that he had gone to take to task the one who had set all their journeying in motion, she grew agitated.

A clash between two such powerful beings, a meeting of darkness and light - well… supposed light - could be a disaster for the Enchanted Forest.

She cleaned, and scrubbed, and did the wash and hung out the laundry on the line, but still no sign of Rumplestiltskin.

On the plus side, the world hadn’t ended yet, so that was promising.

She felt the first tickle of magic just after sunset. She didn’t know why she didn’t expect it to happen that way, why she expected Rumplestiltskin to simply return triumphant, but the magic wasn’t his and felt far more akin to the way the Fairy curse traveled them, except this time her whole _body_ apparated away, and not just her mind.

When the world resolved around her she found herself in a wooded clearing, a broken, fallen tree at one side, and Rumplestiltskin at the other side.

“Rumple?” she asked softly, turning to face him. “What’s going on?”

“Don’t look at him,” the same voice from the darkness, although perhaps slightly more melodic in the moonlight, sounded from above, and when Belle glanced up, she saw a small woman in a sparkling blue dress drifting down on too fast wings… diaphanous, prismatic, like those of a dragonfly. The woman, clearly a fairy, settled on the tree stump. “Look at me,” she commanded.

In spite of the instructions, Belle glanced behind her to where Rumple was standing, impassive, hands crossed in front of him, utterly still.

“Look at _me_.” The Fairy commanded again, and Belle jumped at the tone in her voice, turning away from Rumplestiltskin to face the Blue Fairy.

“Why am I here?” she asked, feeling like it was a pertinent question after all.

“To answer for your actions,” Blue said.

“Excuse me!” Belle answered indignantly, feeling as though the fairy’s words held accusation. “But I’ve nothing to answer _for_ ,” she went on. “I’ve done nothing wrong, unless you count compassion as something evil. All I did was agree to help Rumplestiltskin.”

“Of your own accord?” The Blue fairy asked and then without a break even for breath added, “Remember, look only at me.”

In that moment, Belle knew she was _not_ there to answer for herself at all, but to answer for Rumplestiltskin. She was there to pass or fail a test. In that moment it took every ounce of her being not to turn and look at him. In _that_ moment, she let all her indignation and the truth combine, and lifting her chin she fixed her eyes on the face of the Blue Fairy.

“Of course, of my own free will,” she snapped. “What did you expect him to do? Hold my nose and force me to drink from your cup?” She shook her head then, gathering her courage to add. “No one decides my fate but me,” and knowing Rumplestiltskin would have expected her to tell the absolute truth said, “So, we made a deal. I would drink and join him in this, and _he_ would return the first person that fell foul of your curse,” she spat the word, “to his own world.”

She fell silent then, almost _daring_ the Blue Fairy to call her a liar.

“I see,” was all she said, and then grew quiet, but for the faintest tinkling of star-like bells with each breath she took. After a time, she took a deeper breath and closing her eyes, let it out as a sigh, before she spoke.

“Very well, Dark One,” she said, “It would seem our deal is struck. You spoke true, and so I must not interfere any further in how you answer my geas.”

Belle felt Rumplestiltskin step up beside her, and felt him lay his arm across her back.

“Well, well,” he purred. “It would seem that this curse is getting away from you… dearie… and you are learning that all magic comes with a price.” He tipped his head then, and with a snarl and words that came out in a sibilant hiss, added, “Even for fairies.”

A shiver went through Belle at his words, then all she could see was the purple smoke as he took them back to the Dark Castle.


End file.
